Half to albert j



No. 6l3,569.

(No Model.)

G. W. HOBBS.

TACK DRIVER.

(Application filed Aug. 11, 1897.)

Patented Nov. l, "398..

2 Sheets-Sheet l.

UNITED STATES PATENT rricE. I

GEORGE W. HOBBS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- I-IALF TO ALBERT J. PARTRIDGE, OF SAME PLACE.

TACK-DRIVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,569, dated November 1, 1898.

Application filed August 11, 1897.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. HOBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los' Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Continuous United Nail or Tack Driver, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is designed particularly for shoemakers and cobblers use for the purpose of pegging or nailing shoes. My invention is, however, applicable for use in tacking carpets, nailing on shingles, nailing cigar-boxes,

or nailing of any description in which the nails to be used are not too large.

My invention is particularly designed for hand use, and I employ a united nail-strip which is so arranged that the nails may be coiled, and from one thousand to three thousand can be placed within a comparatively small chamber or receptacle, so that I may charge my improved device with a strip of nails which will allow the use of the device for a long period of time-say from one to two days use by shoemakers-without necessitating the recharging of the chamber or nailreservoir.

My invention comprises the various features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, whereby I accomplish the objects above set forth.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention. D

Figure l is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention and adapted for automatically feeding the nail-strip. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the punch and movable cut-off. Line 2 2, Fig. 3, indicates the line of section. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken at right angles to the line of section of Fig. 2. Line 3 3, Fig. 2, indicates the line of section. Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view showing my improved shuttle for feeding forward the nail-strip. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a device embodying my invention, showing it adapted for operation by hand. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the punch and cut-off slot as shown in Fig. 5. Line 6 ,6, Fig. 7, indicates the line of section.

. section.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same device,

$erial No. 647,909. (No model.)

taken at right angles to the line of section of Fig. 6. Line 7 7, Fig. 6, indicates the line of Fig. 8 is a fragmental perspective bottom view of the device, showing my improved gage. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the gage removed from the guideways. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the front end of my improved device with the plunger-box removed therefrom. Fig. 11 is a view of a nail-strip embodying my invention, showing the line of separation whereby two strips of nails are formed from a single strip of material. Fig. 12 is a fragmental perspective view illustrating another form of nail embodying my invention. Fig. 13 is a fragmental sectional view showing the stop-arm K.

In the drawings,A represents the nail-strip, which is composed of series of parallel nails a, depending from a web a, which forms the heads of the nails when the nails are severed from the strip and driven home. As shown in Fig. 11, the nail-strip is made from sheetbrass or other suitable metal and by a machine is cut into two pieces, as shown in the drawings, each piece forming a nail-strip the heads of the nails of which are united by the web. As shown in Fig. 12, the web is turned at right angles to the body of the nail, so that the nails may be fed over a stationary cut-off and severed by means of a punch shearing.

past the cut-off. By making this web thin and flexible the nails may be formed into a compact coil A, as shown in Fig. 5, the nails all extending parallel with each other when coiled, thereby enabling a large number of nails to be placed within a small space.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 I have illustrated my device adapted for automatically feeding the nail-strip forwardthat is to say, the device may be held in position with one hand and a blow may be delivered upon the head of the punch by means of a hammer held in the other hand. A cut-off will be automatically projected between the first nail and the one immediately following, the nailsevered from the web and driven, and as soon as the punch returns to its normal position another nail fed forward.

B is my improved nailing device, which is provided with a chamber b, adapted to contain a coil of nails, and a race 13, leading 2 oiaseo from such chamber. This race is at its outer end I) made just sufficiently wide to allow the strip of nails to pass therealong, and a punch O is arranged above the race and is adapted to reciprocate vertically thereacross on a line parallel with the axis of the coil of nails. This punch is arranged in a punch-box D, which is secured to the body of the nail-race by screws d or any suitable means and is provided with a chamber D and a punch-opening cl, leading from the body of the chamber. The punch O is provided with a shoulder O, which fits closely within the chamber D and reciprocates therein. A spring E is arranged in the chamber between the shoulder C and the bottom of the chamber and serves to hold the punch normally retracted from the nail-race, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. A cap D is arranged upon the top of the chamber D and is provided with an opening cl, which fits closely about the stem of the plunger,which operates the punch. Screws d secure the cap in place. A plunger-head c is secured upon the top of the plunger to receive the blows of the mallet by which the punch is operated. The outer end of the nail-race thus forms a head, the bottom of which rests upon the article to be nailed, so that the bottom of the race is thus substantiallyin line with such face and the ends of the nails almost touch the article to be nailed.

The punch or plunger may be made in one piece, or the punch proper may be screwed into a socket provided in the lower end of the plunger, as shown in the drawings. I con sider this form preferable, since it enables me to manufacture the punches with less expense and permits a broken punch to be replaced at very slight cost. The punch C may be provided with a shoulder or stop 0, again st which the web a abuts, or the lower end of the punch may be smooth, if desired.

F is a spring-ratchet which projects into the nail-race and is arranged to engage the nail-strip and to prevent the nails from moving backward along the race after they have been fed forward.

G is a spring-dog which has one end projecting into the nail-race and, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, is secured to a movable shuttle or reciprocating block g, which is arranged within a socket g in the body of the nailer, and has a strong spiral spring arranged behind the shuttle, to normally force it forward. The front end of the shuttle normally projects into the path of a shuttle-operatin g plunger h, which is secured to a flange or washer II, arranged upon the stem of the plunger, as clearly shown in the drawings. The lower end of this plunger h is wedgeshaped, so that when the plunger is forced downward it will wedge against the end of the shuttle and drive the shuttle toward the rear.

I is a movable cutoff which slides in a suitable guideway I, provided in the nailer, and

e is adapted to be projected across the nailrace at right angles to the line of movement is provided at its top with an antifrictionroller j. The upper end of the lever is arranged in the path of a plunger h, secured to the cap H, and is also provided with an in clined face which wedges between the antifrietion-roller and the wallsof the plungerchamber to thus force the cut off inward across the nail-race. A spring 2' is arranged to hold the cut-off normally retracted from the nail-race.

In Figs. 5 to 11, inclusive, I have shown my improved device adapted for operation by hand. In this instance the cut-off I is secured to a hand-lever J, and the spring-dog G is secured by one end to a lever J. The cut-off is provided with an enlarged rounded head i, which seats in a correspondinglyshaped opening j, provided in the lever J. A spring j serves to normally hold the lever J away from the body of the nailing device, and thus holds the cut-off retracted from the nail -race. A spring j holds the lever J normally away from the body of the nailer. It will be noted that the levers J and J are sufficiently long to give a leverage upon the dog G and the cutoff I, which allows them to be operated with no more exertion than is required to work the keys of a musical instrument.

K is an adjustable stop-arm for the levers J and J. This stop-arm is provided with the shank 70, which is arranged within a socket 70, provided in the body of the device, and by means of a set-screw 7a" is adapted to be adjusted in and out to regulate the movements of the levers. Shoulders K and K limit the movements of the levers with relation to the stop.

L is a movable gage which is provided with guides Z, secured to the bottom face of the gage, and slide in grooves M, provided in the body of the device. The guides and guide- Ways are rounded,- as shown in the drawings, or may be dovetail, so as to prevent the guides from being withdrawn from the guideways. The ends of the guideways are closed by means of set-screws L. The gage is adapted to be moved from one side of the nail to be driven,which nail is arranged in line with the extended axis of the punch, to the other side thereof, so that the device can be "used from the same side of the shoe for the purpose of pegging both sides thereof, the gage being shifted to one side or the other, according to the requirements of the operator. To accommodate the gage to different sizes of shoes, two or three'independent gages may be provided having guidesZ of different lengths, so as to allow a greater or less latitude of movement of the slide in the guideways and a corresponding change in the latitude of the movement of the gage. A cover A is hinged to the nail-chamber and is provided with catches a, adapted to hold it in its closed position.

In practical operation the nails are formed by being stamped out with dies or in any suit able manner and are compactly coiled, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. A coil is placed in the chamber, and the end of the coil is passed through the nail-race and into the path of the spring-dog. Everything being in readiness, the operator delivers a blow upon the plunger-head, in the device shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, forcing the punch downward, the first operation being to wedge beneath the end of the lever and to shoot the cut-off I in between the last nail and the one adjacent thereto. Next the punch engages with the nail and shears down past the mov able cut-off, neatly severs the nail from the web, and drives it home into the leather or other material into which it is to be driven. The punger h is forced downward in front of the end of the shuttle and forces the shuttle back until the spring-dog passes over a tooth and lodges therebehind. When the mallet is removed from the punch-head, the spring E retracts the plunger, releasing the shuttle, which,under the operation of the coiled spring g, forces the nail-strip forward, the movable cut-off being released and moving back out of the path of the strip. As soon as the punch is fully returned to its normal position a second blow is delivered and a second nail driven in like manner.

In the device shown in Figs. 4 to 11, inclusive, the operation is the sarne as that just described, excepting that the levers J and J are operated by the hands of the operator.

The nails extend to the bottom of the nailrace, so that at the first touch of the punch upon the nail-head the point of the nail enters the material into which it is to be driven, the web holding the top of the nail rigidly in position, and the nail is thus steadied and started in the right direction without any chance to deviate from its proper course.

When the shoulder or stop a is used on the punch, it also serves to steady the nail and guide it in its proper course.

My invention will greatly simplify the pegging or tacking of shoes, the operation being continuous and the operator enabled to drive thenails almost as rapidly as he can deliver a blow from the mallet, the gage engaging with the edge of the sole, insuring thatthe nails will be driven at the proper distance from the edge of the sole.

In practice my device may be used for nailing cigar-boxes, shingling, orin any other .occupation for which it is suitable. The size of the device will be regulated by the size of the nails used, it at present being my intention to make different sizes suitable for the work to be performed. Thus my punch moves in out of the way, which would not be the case if the chamber was arranged to hold the coil with its axis in a horizontal position. This chamber may also serve as a handle by which the device can be conveniently grasped.

Now, having described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination set forth of a handle provided with a chamber adapted to contain a coil of united nails; a nail-race leading from the chamber; a spring-ratchet projecting into the nail-race; a pivoted lever; a spring-dog secured to the lever and projecting into the runway; a spring for holding the lever normally away from the handle; a movable cutoff adapted to be actuated to project across the runway between the nails; a spring for holding the cut-off normally retracted from the runway; a punch adapted to shear past the cut-off to cut the nails from the strip and to drive them; andaspringfor normally holding the plunger retracted.

2. The combination set forth of the punch provided with a driving-face to engage the head of the nail and to drive it, and provided with a shoulder projecting below the drivingface to act asastop to limitthe forward move ment of the nail-strip and to also steady the nail while it is being driven. 3. A nailing device provided with a punch for driving a nail and having a gage movable from side to side of the extended axis of the punch.

4:. A nailing device provided with a punch for driving a nail and having in its bottom two parallel guideways; and a gage provided with guides to slide in the guideways and adapted to slide back and forth from side to side of the extended axis of the punch.

5. The combination set forth of a chamber adapted to hold a coil of united nails; a head having a face to rest upon the article to be nailed; a nail-race leading from the nailchamber'to the head and having its bottom substantially in line with the face which rests upon the article to be nailed; a cut-ofi for the nail-strip; and a punch adapted to shear past the cut-off to sever the nails from ,the strip and to drive them.

6. The combination set forth of a nail-chamber; a head having a face to rest upon the article to be nailed; a nail-race leading from the nail-chamber to the head and having its bottom substantially in line. with the face which rests upon the article to be nailed; and a punch adapted to reciprocate across the nailrace in a line parallel with the axis of the nail-chamber.

G. W. HOBBS.

WVitnesses: A. J. PARTRIDGE, ALFRED I. TOWNSEND. 

